Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
Conservation Status
Least ConcernAves · Galliformes · Phasianidae
About
The wild turkey is an upland game bird native to North America, one of two extant species of turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey, which was originally derived from a southern Mexican subspecies of wild turkey.
Fun Fact
Wild Turkeys can run at 25 mph and fly at 55 mph—a surprise for a bird often assumed to be flightless due to its domestic relatives.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Ranges for turkeys in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont sections have an interspersion of clearings, farms, and plantations with preferred habitat along principal rivers and in cypress (Taxodium distichum) and tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) swamps.
Diet
Eat a wide variety of grasses.
Lifespan
To be updated
Threats
- Habitat Change
- Human Disturbance